The Federal Reserve's Beige Book shows modest to moderate economic growth, with consumer spending, aside from auto purchases, still weak. Wages reflect a tightening job market as low-skilled positions remain unfilled and demand for skilled labor grows.

Companies can combat an IT talent shortage by borrowing from the MLB's playbook and building farm teams from within their ranks, Dev Bootcamp President Tarlin Ray writes. Companies should look outside usual talent criteria to find suitable candidates, then invest in mentoring to groom them, Ray writes.

The steep decline of retail jobs in recent months is another sign of how e-commerce, technology and globalization are upending traditional job markets, Derek Thompson writes. These workers are dissimilar from coal miners except in the sense that their future prospects could be dimmed, argue Thompson and Mark Cohen of Columbia Business School.

A number of cities and states have passed legislation barring employers from asking job candidates about their salary histories, and others are considering such measures. Advocates say the laws can help close the gender pay gap, but the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce has challenged that city's ban, arguing that it violates employers' rights.

This article examines the many ways employers can gather information on employee actions, interactions and habits, along with the privacy and morale concerns that come with how such tracking is handled.

Multinational organizations with multicultural management might experience communication hiccups, but benefits far surpass downsides, writes Nirmalya Kumar of London Business School. Kumar outlines three advantages, including improved credibility among stakeholders and better employee morale.